I use to play soft tips but am a steel tip player now. Passed up to play in State tourney this weekend in soft tips because haven't played in over a year now. So what do you play or both ?

Never played with soft tips before, how different is it?

x2v wrote:

Never played with soft tips before, how different is it?

Soft tip is verrry different. The scoring surface areas are larger. Your tips are plastic and do break quite often. the machine chirps and beeps when hit by a dart and it keeps score for ya. If ya hit the scoring surface and bounces out most time it scores. Very big in USA, Japan and most of Asia. Its fun but I prefer steel now. Oh btw ya got to feed the machine $$$$$ and ya shooting most times from 8 ft.


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Was going to try soft tip, but I decided to stick with steel, was worried in case I started to mess up the small improvements I was making in steel so just going to concentrate on the steel tip game.

Grip would need ear plugs, it is also LOUD !!!!

Soft tip is non existent down my way. I don`t think it`ll ever catch on over here.

dartbord wrote:

Grip would need ear plugs, it is also LOUD !!!!

Whaaattt!!! you saying I got big ears!

Never played soft tip and never had the desire to do so........ in fact, dont think ive even seen a soft tip board in my area

wouldn't mind giving it a try but i have never seen a proper soft tip board set up in my life. ive been across a lot of canada and have only ever seen steeltip boards and players. if i ever get around to teaching english in asia, i'm definitely going to buy a set of softtips just in case.

Steel tip is popular here in our country and we always play it.

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Budweiser Beer Bottle Darts by markbrindza, on Flickr

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Winchester .357 magnum 20gr by markbrindza, on Flickr

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16gr Soft Tip Spark Plugs by markbrindza, on Flickr

Soft tips come in cool shapes and sizes. From beer, bullets and Spark Plugs

I love the spark plugs

never seen a soft tip board, never wanted to play that version....for me it sounds like it very different. sounds like a way to make money out of darts for pubs and clubs

only played soft tip a coupla times when i was in the states the last time, and i can honestly say that it did do much for me, i didnt like the noise (too annoying) and didnt like the idea of scoring even though i had a bounce out.
so for me its steel all the time

Its different, its fun but steel for me too.

For me it's strictly steel tip, but all the big money comps are soft tip especially over in asia. I hate the scoring of bounce outs also.. :arrow:

Hatrick

Always played steel tip in the UK, but play both now I live in Australia. Helps when you play with light darts, as its not much of a diffrence (currenty using ted hankey 14 gram steel tip, but find the ted hankey 18 gram soft tips a bit heavy)

In Australia most people have their steel tip bristle board outside or in the shed.
I have opted for the steel tip board outside on the patio and put a soft tip board in the house (as wife didnt want a steel tip board in the house and we have floor boards).
So play soft tip when cold outside, windy or when mosquitoes are about .
Play steel tip when warmer, no mosquitoes amd not windy, which tends to be during the day time or summer nights.

Soft tip darts is great fun when playing friends, as no needs to score or get chalk on your hands and clothes. Also really enjoy playing cricket, half it, shanghi and other games. These can be played on both boards, but are easier on the soft tip board.

Just got to find a good reliable tip so you don't have to change them all the time. Found the lippoint tips are best for me.

Thats interesting Assassin, never new thats how people would have there set up in Oz, I guess the weather is handy for outside darts though.

I only play steel tip. I've played on the cheap soft tip boards that you find in some pubs but never actually participated in a legitimate game with soft tip.

I have played both. Like both styles. make no mistake they are different !
Soft Tip the machine keeps your score.
Bounce outs usually score.
Machine will give out suggestions
scoring area is larger !
Limited to your weight of darts.
You have to put in money.

Steel traditional but soft tip is said to be wave of the future ! Either way they both have their pluses IMO. Just enjoy the game is my motto.

_________________

I'll let ya know when my board arrives Monday if i enjoy it or not.

****l G's up hoes down..lol

no ***!

I played only steel for years and then moved to an area where soft tip was the only thing so I started playing. Got my butt kicked the first season and wasn't use to that so I bought a soft tip board for at home and practiced hard. Tired of getting beat! That's all I played for a couple years,started going to bull shooter tournaments and others. Set a goal for myself to get on the pro list for arachnid. Finally got there my 3rd time and pretty muched stopped playing soft tip after I reached my goal. Still play when I go out because that's all there is in this area. Have to travel to play steel tournaments- wich I do but gets expensive.

So play soft. When in Rome do as the Romans.

Trying to decide if I should go to the Bullshooter in Florida that's coming up. Just so expensive! $20 entry fee per event, 75 cents a game, freeze rule. All things I don't like and cost. If your winning it gets expensive! Last Bullshooter I spent over $50 just in quarters

naw don't do that. I don't go and I live here lol

I've not played it yet but I do have a hankering to get myself a board and some sets of soft tip arrows - I like the look of those Viper X-Treme boards that fold out, and as for arrows I like the look of the Target Distinction and Target Survivor Machete's - no cheap rubbish for me lol:

I play both. Only steel tip at home though.

I'd like to add a few points though.

While soft tip does in fact keep score for you, it doesn't tell you the outs or what to shoot at. Outs in soft tip are completely different depending on what you're playing. It takes a while to learn all the different outs. Quite different from steel tip. Also, most people playing in a steel tip tournament have a scorekeeper to chalk for them. I see no difference.

Back in the 90's I used to be "one of those guys" that ripped on soft tip. Had never played it and had no interest in it. Then I moved to a place where ALL there was to play was soft tip. I had no choice. Turned out those big triples and doubles that seem easy to hit, are in fact easy to hit.... for the other guy as well. We never think of that though. And when the other guy is averaging 5 or 6+ mpr every turn we end up putting ourselves under pressure and missing.

I considered myself a really good steel tip player years ago before playing soft tip. I'll tell you first hand what soft tip has done for me. It's made me an all around better player. Some may disagree with me, but in soft tip there is more constant pressure to shoot well. You never get a break. For example, in steel tip if I open up with a 9 mark playing cricket I can take a deep breath and relax a bit. Don't care if I'm playing Phil Taylor. I will take a breath and think to myself... "take that Phil". In soft tip if I do the same thing there is NO time to relax at all. Open up with a 9 mark and you still have to be on your toes and hit a huge round the next throw. As easy as it is to hit a 5 mark or higher in soft tip, it's just as easy to throw a 2 mark, and that is disaster!!! So because of that it is my experience that there is more constant pressure. I'm never relieved until the winning dart goes in. Seen WAY to many games where a guy has a massive lead and is in cruise control, only to cave in because the other guy hits back to back 9 marks. That constant pressure involved in soft tip has carried over to my steel tip game. I'm more focused.

Let's talk about the $$$$. I'm going to use steel tip and soft tip LEAGUES as an example. I pay a $5 fee once a week to play in a steel tip league. I pay a $6 fee once a week to play in a soft tip league. Big friggin difference. Not.

Darts is my hobby and passion. If I go out once a week to practice with my friends I might spend $10 actually playing. Let's not forget the guy you're playing against splits the difference. If you're worried about cost... find something else to do. Also depends on where you play, but at this Bosnian place I play out of, the loser pays the $1 to play the next game. Incentive to win for sure. Stay on the board.... no pay.

Bounce outs... not a big deal anymore. New machines, better tips. Doesn't factor into my game in the least bit. In fact I don't even think about it. Funny though... how many times have we played steel tip and hear some guy complain for 10 minutes on how he would of won had his bull not bounced out??? How the other guy got SOOOOO lucky and the board sucks because of a bounce out. I've been playing 20 years. I've heard it A LOT!!!

The only things I don't care for are handicaps. But when I go out to play with friends or play in my local league it's not used. So again, not a factor for me. If it doesn't concern me, I won't talk about it.

Segment size- huge targets right? Yep, they're just as big for the guy you're playing with too. Keep that in mind when he's pounding the dear life out you. see how well you shoot then.

That is all.

Good post JD and I take on board what you say about the pressures been different, its something to think about anyway with both players having a great chance of getting big scores it makes having a bad throw all the worse.